House Republicans today made a
big show about how they were going to drop their own brand-new alternate budget proposal, packed with urban-suburban hip-hop
"flava" and dance moves Eric Cantor learned at the Verizon Center, watching Britney Spears. As it turns out, READY THEY WERE
NOT, and so everyone is making fun of them, and it.

And look: I know that a lot has changed since that first, much-hyped-but-ultimately-detail-free
attempt that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner made at presenting his bank bailout plan. You know...Watchmen opened, and
we've all filled out our NCAA brackets, and that guy from American Idol who desecrated the corpse of Johnny Cash got himself
a haircut and wasn't half bad on the teevee last night. And yet, I still remember Geithner, rightly getting criticized for
a presentation that did not live up to the advance word that President Barack Obama himself put out on the street. The administration,
quite rightly, took their lumps for suggesting Geithner was going to deliver the goods when, in reality, he was far from ready
for prime time. And the GOP, fairly, led that chorus of criticism.

But for all the criticism, the Geithner lesson didn't seem to be a teachable one.
And, as far as MSNBC's Contessa Brewer was concerned, she wasn't having it:

Later, Norah O'Donnell asked Mike Pence to provide basic details,
to no avail. Pence continued to talk about details as forthcoming. O'Donnell sort of thought that having continually criticized
the administration for projecting a long-term deficit figure, that it was absurd that the GOP couldn't even offer their own
projection for the sake of comparison. Pence suggested that the very fact that the GOP plan was getting criticized constituted
"progress." Uhm...not really.

At a time when the federal government is spending billions of stimulus dollars to stem the tide of U.S. layoffs, should
that same government put even more Americans out of work by buying cheaper foreign products?

In this case, Chinese condoms.

That's the dilemma for the folks at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has distributed an estimated 10
billion U.S.-made AIDS-preventing condoms in poor countries around the world.

But not anymore.

In a move expected to cost 300 American jobs, the government is switching to cheaper off-shore condoms, including some
made in China.

The switch comes despite implied assurances over the years that the agency would continue to buy American whenever possible.

"Of course, we considered how many U.S. jobs would be affected by this move,” said a USAID official who spoke on
the condition that he would not be named. But he said the reasons for the change included lower prices (2 cents versus more
than 5 cents for U.S.-made condoms) and the fact that Congress dropped “buy American language” in a recent appropriations
bill.

Besides, he said, the sole U.S. supplier — an Alabama company called Alatech — had previous delivery problems
under the program.

It's clear that Alatech's problems over the years, which apparently have been resolved, may have driven U.S. officials
to seek much less expensive foreign-made condoms in the first place.

But that's cold comfort to Fannie Thomas, who has been making AIDS-preventing condoms in southeastern Alabama for nearly
40 years in the small town of Eufaula.

“We pay taxes down here, too, and with all this stimulus money going to save jobs, it seems to me like they (the
U.S. government) should share this contract so they can save jobs here in America,” Thomas said.

Thomas and others at the Alatech plant said there aren’t many alternatives for them if it closes down, which is a
likely result of the contracting switch.

In fact, the government is close to accepting condoms from two offshore companies: Unidus Corp., which makes condoms in
South Korea, and Qingdao Double Butterfly Group, which makes them in China.

Man Plays Madoff's Prison Number and Wins $1,500

NEW YORK – Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff is a lucky charm
for one New York City construction worker. Queens resident Ralph Amendolaro said he saw Madoff's prison number in a newspaper
and had a good feeling so he played the last three digits of it in the state lottery's Numbers game. It hit March 15, paying
$1,500.

Lottery officials say other people had the same idea. The number combination 0-5-4 produced 501 winning tickets the Sunday
after Madoff's guilty plea, up from 120 winners the previous day.

Madoff's prison registration number is 61727-054.

A lottery spokeswoman says people often play numbers they see on the news.

So many people played the flight number of a jet that landed safely in the Hudson River that the lottery had to halt sales.

Spanish Court Weighs Inquiry on Torture for 6 Bush-Era Officials

LONDON — A Spanish court has taken the first steps toward opening a criminal investigation into allegations that
six former high-level Bush administration officials violated international law by providing the legal framework to justify
the torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an official close to the case said.

The case, against former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and others, was sent to the prosecutor’s office for review by Baltasar Garzón, the crusading investigative judge who ordered the arrest of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The official said that it was “highly probable” that the case would go forward and
that it could lead to arrest warrants.

The move represents a step toward ascertaining the legal accountability of top Bush administration officials for allegations
of torture and mistreatment of prisoners in the campaign against terrorism. But some American experts said that even if warrants
were issued their significance could be more symbolic than practical, and that it was a near certainty that the warrants would
not lead to arrests if the officials did not leave the United States.

The complaint under review also names John C. Yoo, the former Justice Department lawyer who wrote secret legal opinions saying the president had the authority to circumvent
the Geneva Conventions, and Douglas J. Feith, the former under secretary of defense for policy.

Most of the officials cited in the complaint declined to comment on the allegations or could not be reached on Saturday.
However their defenders have said their legal analyses and policy work on interrogation practices, conducted under great pressure
after the 2001 terrorist attacks, are now being unfairly second-guessed after many years without a terrorist attack on the
United States.

Chairman
Michael Steele has said that the race in the 20th Congressional District is “going to be a battle royale. We’ve
come to play.”

The national Main Stream Media is starting to take notice
of this race a bit more than they normally would because of the grumblings in the Republican Party about whether Steele can
handle the job as Chairman of the RNC, all because of Steele’s recent openness about Rush Limbaugh where Steele said
that Rush was "incendiary" and just an "entertainer. Then the following week
in an interview with GQ magazine's Lisa Depaulo Steele said a woman should have the right to choose an abortion.

So first Steele pissed off the retarded right wing of
the GOP who worship Rush Limbaugh and who see him as the GOP leader, and then he pissed off the religious right wing of the
GOP which wants abortions abolished completely.

So now it's put or shut up for Steele, if he can deliver
the 20th congressional district to the GOP in the special election on March 31 then these grumblings will fade away.

The House seat up for grabs was held by Kirsten Gillibrand
who on January 23, 2009, was appointed by Governor David Paterson to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Republican candidate is Jim Tedisco who has been
a State Assemblyman since 1982 and his Democratic opponent is Scott Murphy who is a businessman.

So, Steele has a seasoned politician in Tedisco running
against a businessman who is new to politics. The RNC Chairman has been pouring money into Tedisco’s campaign so the
cards are in favor of the republican candidate, and if he loses, Chairman Steele may lose as well.

Steele was elected on the sixth and final ballot beating
out South Carolina Republican party Chairman Katon Dawson 91 to 77.

I wonder what her thinking is on the outcome of the
election, is she hoping that Tedisco wins because another republican would be in the House, or is she thinking that if Tedisco
loses and Steele is voted out of his RNC Chair, that she might have another shot at the job.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

The Leadership of the GOP

In an episode entitled "FOX-y
Lady," the "Family Guy" took on their own network's news branch this Sunday. The plot revolves around the family's matriarch
auditioning to be a Fox News anchor after the woman who held the job previously turned out to be too ugly for HDTV.

In the following scene Lois gets a tour of Fox's studio. She has her liberal dog
in toe to prove to him that it's not a "lie factory." It doesn't go well, although the family's fascist baby says it "feels
like a warm blanket."

"Family Guy" Takes On Fox News (VIDEO)

Bill Introduced to Help Ailing Newspaper IndustryAFP

A US senator has introduced legislation aimed at helping ailing US newspapers
by giving them tax breaks as non-profit organizations.

"We are losing our newspaper industry," Senator Benjamin Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, said in introducing the Newspaper
Revitalization Act.

"The economy has caused an immediate problem, but the business model for newspapers, based on circulation and advertising
revenue, is broken, and that is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.

"It is in the interest of our nation and good governance that we ensure they survive," Cardin said in a statement on Tuesday.

The senator cited the recent closures of two newspapers, Denver's Rocky Mountain News and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
in introducing the bill and noted that many other publications were threatened.

Cardin said the act would grant newspapers tax-free status as non-profits, an arrangement similar to that enjoyed by public
broadcasting outlets, which survive on tax-deductible contributions from listeners.

"Under this arrangement, newspapers would not be allowed to make political endorsements, but would be allowed to freely
report on all issues, including political campaigns," he said.

"Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax exempt and contributions to support coverage or operations could be
tax deductible," he said.

Cardin's statement said "the measure is targeted to preserve local newspapers serving communities and not large newspaper
conglomerates."

"This may not be the optimal choice for some major newspapers or corporate media chains, but it should be an option for
many newspapers that are struggling to stay afloat," he said.

Cardin's legislation drew immediate fire from influential media critic Jeff Jarvis who called it "another well-meaning
but ultimately dangerous attempt to provide a government rescue for newspapers.

"It's doubtful that taxpayers will want to help bail out newspapers, too," Jarvis wrote on his blog, BuzzMachine.com.

US newspapers have been grappling with a steep drop in print advertising revenue, steadily declining circulation and the
migration of readers to free news online.

One of the largest newspaper chains, the Tribune Co., filed for bankruptcy last year and the editors of its flagship Chicago
Tribune and Los Angeles Times announced plans on Tuesday to combine their foreign reporting operations.

WASHINGTON – The White House says neither GM nor Chrysler submitted
acceptable plans to receive more bailout money, setting the stage for a crisis in Detroit and putting in motion what could
be the final two months of two American auto giants.

President Barack Obama and his top advisers have determined that neither company is viable and that taxpayers will not
spend untold billions more to keep the pair of automakers open forever. In a last-ditch effort, the administration gave each
company a brief deadline to try one last time to convince Washington it is worth saving, said senior administration officials
who spoke on the condition of anonymity to more bluntly discuss the decision.

Obama was set to make the announcement at 11 a.m. Monday in the White House's foyer.

In an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" broadcast Sunday, Obama said the companies must do more to receive additional
financial aid from the government.

"We think we can have a successful U.S. auto industry. But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather
this storm and to emerge — at the other end — much more lean, mean and competitive than it currently is," Obama
said.

Frustrated administration officials said Chrysler cannot function as an independent company under its current plan. They
have given Chrysler a 30-day window to complete a proposed partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA, and will offer up
to $6 billion to the companies if they can negotiate a deal before time runs out.

THIS WEEKS FEATURED MUSIC VIDEO

Joe Cocker - Hitchcock Railway

US 'will not stop' N Korea rocket

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says North Korea is likely to launch
a rocket soon, and Washington would not attempt to stop it.

North Korea has said it will launch a satellite into orbit next month.

South Korea, Japan and the US say the launch is cover for a test of the Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

Japan had said earlier it would deploy missile interceptors to destroy any parts of a North Korean rocket that might fall
on its territory.

North Korea has said it would regard any rocket intercept as an act of war.

But Mr Gates said the US would not attempt to shoot it down.

'Aberrant missile'

"I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it," he told Fox News Sunday.

"If we had an aberrant missile, one that looked like it was headed for Hawaii, we might consider it, but I don't think
we have any plans to do anything like that at this point," said Mr Gates.

The US had previously said the launch would violate UN Security Council resolutions, while Russia has said North Korea
should "abstain" from testing any missiles.

North Korea says it intends to test-fire the rocket between the 4 and 8 April.

The trajectory issued by Pyongyang shows the rocket will pass over Japan, with the first booster stage landing in the sea
to the west, the second in the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Japan's interception is only likely to be activated if the launch does not go as planned and debris appears to be falling
towards Japan.

Eating Red and Processed Meats May Increase Risk of Death

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, March 25, 2009 (ENS) - People who eat more red
meat and processed meats appear to have a "modestly increased risk of death" from all causes and also from cancer or heart
disease over a 10-year period, finds a new study of half a million U.S. men and women who were aged 50 to 71 when the research
began in 1995.

This health effect does not extend to consumption of poultry. Researchers found that a higher intake of white meat results
in a slightly decreased risk for overall death and cancer death.

Rashmi Sinha, PhD, and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute at Rockville studied the association between meat intake
and risk of death among more than 500,000 people who were part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.

Participants were recruited from six states - California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania
- and from metropolitan areas - Atlanta, Georgia, and Detroit, Michigan. Questionnaires on demographic and lifestyle characteristics,
including dietary habits, were mailed to 3.5 million members of AARP [The American Association of Retired Persons] in 1995.

The researchers asked people to recall what they ate over the previous 12 months and fill out a detailed questionnaire.
Instructions said, "Answer each question as best you can. Estimate if you are not sure. A guess is better than leaving a blank."

The approximately 500,000 participants were then followed for 10 years through Social Security Administration Death Master
File and National Death Index databases. Participants filled out questionnaires at the five year mark and the 10 year mark.
During the follow-up period, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.

Former President George W. Bush is writing a book focusing on defining
decisions he's made in his personal and political life, a publishing house announced Thursday.

The book, tentatively titled "Decision Points," is to be published in fall 2010, according to the Crown Publishing Group.
Financial terms weren't disclosed.

The book will focus on about 12 important decisions made by the former president. Topics will include his decision to run
for president, his choice of his closest advisers, the September 11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, his
response to Hurricane Katrina, the forming of his stem cell research policy, his decision to quit drinking, how he found faith
and his relationships with his father, mother, siblings and wife.

"I am spending time on the book every day," Bush was quoted saying in a news release. "My goal is to bring the reader inside
the Oval Office for the most consequential moments of my personal and political life.

"I look forward to painting a vivid picture of the information I had, the principles I followed, and the decisions I made,"
Bush said.

VARIOUS LATE NIGHT QUOTES

"I have a plan to end the war in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Here's what we do. We bring
all our soldiers home. We send in our investment bankers. They'll screw up the place in six months. Six months!" --Jay Leno

"President Obama is everywhere, isn't he? I mean, last week, he was on our show. Sunday
night, he was on '60 Minutes.' Tuesday night, he held a prime time press conference. And last night, he was on 'Lost,' trying
to sell his economic plan to the people on the island.'" --Jay Leno

"President Obama held an online town hall meeting today, the first time a president has
ever done that. This would allow anyone online to participate, unless, of course, you have AOL. Then you're screwed." --Jay
Leno

"Anyway, he took questions from Internet users. It was interesting. Only three people wanted
to know about the economy, only two people asked about Iraq, but 17,000 asked about his 'BFF.'" --Jay Leno

"There was one embarrassing moment. Someone online said to the President, 'I'd like to meet
with you sometime and tell you some of my ideas.' It was Joe Biden." --Jay Leno

"A construction worker from Queens, New York, used Bernard Madoff's prison number to play
the lottery and won. The guy won $1,500. Bernard Madoff, of course, is in prison for luring money from rich people in a giant
scam that promised to make them richer. But don't confuse him with the state lottery, which lures money away from poor people
in a giant scam that promises to make them richer." --Jay Leno

"President Obama has made his prediction for the Final Four. He made his prediction today.
The only ones left standing after next week will be Citigroup, Chase, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley." --Jay Leno

"The economy is so bad, I watched 'Iron Chef' the other night. You know what the secret
ingredient was? Government cheese." --Jay Leno

"The economy is so bad, on 'Sesame Street,' they won't even talk about letters 'A,' 'I,'
or 'G' anymore." --Jay Leno

"Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is writing a book about his role in the Bush administration
during the economic crisis. It's weird, the book starts on Chapter 11. That's odd." --Jimmy Fallon

"George W. Bush, who was our president before Barack Obama, recently signed a deal
to write a book for $7 million. And it makes sense because when you think George W. Bush, you think book. Don't you, really?"
--David Letterman

"In the book, George W. Bush will discuss his 12 toughest decisions, like 'should I heed
Al Roker's warnings about Katrina?' That would be one tough decision. 'Should I let Cheney carry a loaded shotgun?' That would
be another." --David Letterman

"Now here's evidence of actual progress in Iraq. Iraq, as of today, is officially open to
tourism. Cut me a slice of that." --David Letterman

"You can tell it's tourism season in Iraq because today an American had to duck a pair of
flip-flops." --David Letterman

"But I was thinking about this. If you want to take a trip, a vacation, to some place where
they've got sniper fire, dangerous streets, a lot of goat-based food, and random violence, just come to New York City." --David
Letterman

This Week in God!!!

Main Entry: mar·riagePronunciation:..'mer-ij, 'ma-rij..Function: nounEtymology:
Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marryDate: 14th century1 a (1): the state of being united
to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the
state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage>
b: the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c: the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage

Merriam-Webster dictionary will now be BANNED from all Private religious schools...Culminating with a book burning and
marshmallow roast on Saturday April 11, 2009 on the eve of Easter...Contact your local Church or Catholic school for those
who want a ride on the Bus of Righteousness to the main Event or wish to contribute books...

YodasWorld.org is updated each Monday. Some of the items from
the previous week are added to the various topic links on the left side of the main page. Links embedded should be good
for at least the date posted. After the posting date, link reliability depends on the policy of the linked sites. Some sites
require visitors to register before allowing access to articles. Material presented on this page represent the opinion's of
YodasWorld.org.

Copyright 2000-2009 YodasWorld.org. All rights reserved
on original works. Material copyrighted by others is used either with permission or under a claim of "fair use."

YodasWorld.org is updated each Monday. Some of
the items from the previous week are added to the various topic links on the left side of the main page. Links embedded
should be good for at least the date posted. After the posting date, link reliability depends on the policy of the linked
sites. Some sites require visitors to register before allowing access to articles. Material presented on this page represent
the opinion's of YodasWorld.org.

Copyright 2000-2011 YodasWorld.org. All rights
reserved on original works. Material copyrighted by others is used either with permission or under a claim of "fair use."